According to the Orlando Sentinel, new documents were filed today; one by Jose Baez and Andrea Lyon, and another by Mark NeJame, who represents Texas EquuSearch.
In the first one, Casey Anthony’s defense attorneys object to the State’s recent request for a private hearing with Orange County Circuit Judge Stan Strickland. The State Attorney’s Office recently asked for a private hearing to discuss“certain materials and information” that have “come into the possession of Law Enforcement.” (Please see: Let’s shoot for the in camera ex parte motion)
Assistant State Attorney Jeff Ashton wrote that there was good cause to delay disclosure of these materials and information.
Casey’s defense stated in their objection that the State offered nothing in support of their claim, and “under Florida law a bare assertion is insufficient,”according to the motion, which was made public today.
The defense also filed an objection to the state’s proposed discovery schedule, according to the Sentinel. The defense team and prosecutors assigned to Casey Anthony’s case met Feb. 8 and agreed on an “overwhelming majority” of discovery issues.
The defense objects to one item in particular - dealing with the Oak Ridge Laboratory. They claim the lab may try to claim Judge Strickland doesn’t have jurisdiction over them, and so more litigation may ensue to resolve this issue. The motion asks the judge to amend the state’s proposed discovery order to either exclude the deadline for the laboratory and its officials, or to set an alternative date for matters related to that agency.
Meanwhile, Mark NeJame filed a response to claims made by the defense team. Casey’s defense still wants records from EquuSearch, the volunteer search organization that helped look for Caylee Marie. TES claims that releasing all its information, including the volunteers’ cell phones and other identifying details, to the defense, could have a “chilling” effect on volunteers in future searches.
The defense countered by claiming that NeJame invited a local TV station in to his office to view some of the records, which makes the chilling effect argument moot. In his response filed yesterday, NeJame wrote that the defense team’s motion is “inaccurate and lacking in demonstrating any proper investigation or due diligence prior to its filing.”
“If counsel for the Defendant had conducted a proper inquiry he would have ascertained that none of the previously approximately 4,000 undisclosed names of the searchers were shown, reviewed, or looked at by Adam Longo, reporter for Central Florida News 13,” NeJame wrote. “In fact, those approximately 4,000 names of the searchers were in a separate box and in a separate office located approximately fifteen (15) miles away when Mr. Longo was present.”
Defense Objection to State of Florida’s General Discovery Order